A Man Remade
by Teslafangirl
Summary: Tiberius Stone decides to take Tony Stark's superhero down a notch. Implementing his plan during a famous Stark Expo, Tony gets more than even he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Tiberius Stone. The man had lived in shadows.

He scoffed. No, that was fucking sugar coating this damn mess. He had been decimated.

It could have begun when Howard Stark had decided to turn his attention to Stone's family. When the Stone's empire had fallen into bankruptcy. That would have been the convenient story to tell. But Ty wasn't a man to take a beating laying down. He had taken up the pieces and rebuilt. He turned the rubble back into millions, billions of dollars. Viastone was a new, shiny empire, one unparalleled even by its former glory. So no, he was not a man of petty revenge. The Starks should have been nothing but a footnote in his history. He should have remembered Tony Stark merely as his schoolboy competitor, someone to best in class, to out lay.

But then came Iron Man. The Hero of New York. God, the praise was never ending. The schoolboys now latched onto Stark's image, carrying around their own toy, iron masks. He had been crowned a hero by the mass. Tony Stark. He couldn't stay another billionaire, playboy. He became a saviour, and Iron Man became the alter at which they worshiped.

Tiberius Stone had finally had enough. The past was easily enough to forget. The present was a fucking blow-horn in his face. So no, he was not a man of petty revenge, but he could no longer swallow the Stark pill dry daily.

The people could always endorse the man that saves. They could even overlook a man that kills. But the people, he thought, could never adore a monster.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

These events always made Tony regret going sober. Sure, it had been for the best and yada yada, but damn, even he deserved a drink if he had to deal with these assholes all night.

Pep, of course, was in her element. She was used to having to deal with unruly, egotistical businessmen. There was a reason he made her CEO after all- besides thinking he was days away from death. Semantics.

'Mr. Stark?' One of the men prompted, clearly for the second or third time. Really, who could blame him for zoning out?

Well, catching his fiance's glare, she could. But Pepper Potts was used to being annoyed with him by now. Part of the package deal.

'Right,' Tony said, clearing his throat. 'Sorry, long night. Were where we?' He eyed the open bar in the corner of the room again. Surely one drink wouldn't hurt. Hell, he had funded everything; it was his Expo. Not having one would almost be a crime.

'Your idea with expanding your approach with green energy using the arc reactor technology. I was wondering if you've thought about it past powering cities and-' The man was interrupted by some clasping Tony's shoulder.

If he didn't hate the intrusion of his personal space, Tony would have been thrilled to be pulled from this conversation.

'Tony! God, it's been what, ten years? I'm surprised you're still even coming to small things like this. Aren't you all buddy buddy with the hero bunch now?'

Despite the man's words, he was grinning, his blue eyes shining with genuine pleasure.

'Ty,' Tony said, offering him a characteristic grin. Although it wasn't completely false. Ty was one of the few past competitors he didn't hate. He would gladly take seeing him over Justin Hammer any day.

'If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I need to catch up with an old friend of mine here.'

'Tony,' Pepper said low. He knew this wasn't something he should blow off. But he trusted her to handle it. It's not like he was really that involved with the conversation anyway.

'Love ya, honey,' he said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

She huffed. 'Go on, Tony.' She was annoyed, but not so annoyed that he wouldn't be invited in the bed later- and that was good enough for Tony.

He let himself be pulled away with Ty's insistence on catching up. Well, maybe not pulled away really. Hell, he particularly sprinted to the open bar.

One drink wouldn't hurt. And no more than one, he promised himself. He meant what he told Pepper. He wouldn't fall back on that wagon.

'So Ty,' Tony said once he had his drink in hand. 'How you've been? I'm surprised you even walked in the door here, what with my name plastered everywhere.' Ty had always had a bit of a competitive streak, but then again, so had he.

Stone rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, well, I don't think you need the ego stroking, Tony. Hell, I'm surprised I've heard that you've decided to settle down. If I were you, I think I'd take advantage of having Iron Man fans. Really, I thought I'd see you with groupies.'

Tony smirked. 'Yeah. Me too. But hey, I think got most of that out of my system in college.' And out of college. And well, really, it went on until Afganistan. 'Besides, I like having someone who can actually give it right back to me.' Pep never put up with his bullshit. Never would. 'What about you, still with Ru?'

'Ah, that didn't last long. Good lay, but I'm not ready to settle down or all that shit,' Ty said, leaning against the bar. 'But as fun as this catching up is, there is a reason I wanted to talk to you to-night, Tony.'

Stark raised a brow at his old friend's change in tone. 'Yeah, and that is? And please don't tell me it's another green investment deal because then I might need a second drink,'' he joked.

The man shook his head. 'No, it's-' He paused, taking a glance around the room. 'Do you mind if we talk somewhere about this privately?'

'Yeah, of course. I've heard this hotel has a great view of the sky line up top. I've already booked the penthouse,' he said, setting his half empty drink down. It was one of the first times he's managed to have and not finish a drink. It's been almost two years sober. He wasn't going to ruin it.

Ty smiled. 'Perfect. Lead the way.'

So Tony Stark did. He couldn't even blame having his guard down with being drunk. Or even distracted. He honestly didn't consider the man beside him a threat. Why would he? They had been close friends at boarding school, and besides that, they hadn't talked in years. So really, how could there be any animosity?

So Stark didn't think twice about turning his back on Stone when he opened the door to the penthouse suit. He didn't feel the need to glance back as he stepped into the room with his usual confidence and swagger.

It made it all too easy for Ty. There was no struggle or scuff as he drove the syringe into Tony's neck. He didn't even get the time to curse before his vision went black and his body dropped to the marble floor.

Really, toppling a man of iron was almost too easy.


End file.
